OUTREACH FOR ENTITLEMENT PROGRAMS - LESSONS FROM FOOD STAMP OUTREACH IN WASHINGTON-STATE

Outreach programs attempt to overcome obstacles that deter persons from participating in social programs for which they are eligible. This article identifies two broad approaches to how an outreach program might define its goals and operate. One is more suitable for local, small-scale social programs with service capacity defined by a limited number of staff, while the other is better for open-ended entitlement programs. The two approaches require different kinds of programmatic activities and organization to be effective. Failure to recognize the differences may lead to organizational confusion and conflict and to an ineffective program. We draw on this analysis to assess the effectiveness and weaknesses of a pilot food stamp outreach program operated in Washington State in 1990 and 1991 and to suggest several lessons to guide design of future outreach efforts for entitlement programs.